Union Mayor Figueiredo “Connects the Cord” on Community Solar Project Serving More Than 260 Homes

Union Township Mayor Manuel Figueiredo joined Solar Landscape and others to celebrate the activation of a new rooftop community solar project on a building owned by H. Schultz and Sons. Now energized, the 1.7-megawatt (DC) installation will provide clean solar energy at a discount to more than 260 homes in the Union Township area. It will save the households it serves collectively over $60,000 per year on home energy bills.

"We are excited to bring the benefits of community solar to the residents of the Township of Union. Whether you own a home or rent an apartment, this project will help our residents save on their monthly electric bills, and it will also help us fight climate change together as a community. This is one of the many improvements taking shape in the Township of Union, and we are grateful for this collaboration with H. Schultz and Sons and Solar Landscape,” said Mayor Manuel Figueiredo.

Owned and operated by Solar Landscape, this community solar project – comprising nearly 3,600 panels – creates equitable access to clean energy for low- and moderate-income households in the area.

The renewable energy project milestone is being celebrated during National Clean Energy Week and on World Environmental Health Day. It was approved as part of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ Community Solar Energy Pilot

Program. Rapidly gaining support throughout the state, the program is paving the way for a clean energy transition that is accessible to all residents regardless of income.

Reducing Costs, Creating Jobs

Community solar pulls leaders from the private and public sectors together to expand the benefits of going solar.

"Local leaders like Mayor Figueiredo are instrumental to reducing energy costs for their residents and bringing clean energy to their communities," said Solar Landscape CEO and co-founder Shaun Keegan. "Together with Mayor Figueiredo, H. Schultz and Sons and Edison Job Corps, we're demonstrating that rooftop community solar projects create real-world benefits for residents -- all without putting panels on their homes -- and preserve precious open space."

"Our building has been a fixture in Union for decades and we're excited that it can now be a new resource to the community," said H. Schultz and Sons Vice President Ran Lazarovitch. "Energy generated by the community solar installation on our rooftop will reduce our area's greenhouse gas emissions and bring clean energy at a discount to nearly 300 homes in and around Union."

"As community solar continues to grow across New Jersey, so will the need for people who can install the panels and drive our clean energy economy forward," said Tony Staynings, Business Community Liaison for Edison Job Corps. "We're proud to partner with Solar Landscape to bring solar installation classes to New Jersey communities, creating new job opportunities and brighter futures for our residents. Activating this installation in Union is a great example of how community solar drives clean energy, workforce development, and lower costs for subscribers."

Rooftop Community Solar: Shovel-Ready Clean Energy

Community solar installations on commercial and industrial rooftops can quickly create affordable clean energy for communities across the country. Due to their smaller size, they avoid lengthy interconnection delays, and there are advantages to installations on commercial rooftops generating energy closer to where it will be used.

Solar Landscape has energized 22 community solar projects in 2023 to date, serving more than 2,700 households, more than half of which are low- or moderate-income families.

The company has begun construction on community solar projects in Maryland as part of its nation-leading partnership with Public Storage.

Solar Landscape | www.solarlandscape.com